There has been an increase in the use of ornamental or seasonal lighting in a variety of commercial applications such as office complexes, retail developments, institutional campuses and downtown streetscape areas. This ornamental or seasonal lighting, or any such device is typically used in conjunction with lighting poles that provide general illumination in and around the commercial location.
There has also been sharp increase of the need for security cameras on residential and commercial buildings, which require 120 volt for the heated camera enclosures. Downtown public spaces also have increased their use of security cameras & wireless antennas, both of which require 120 volt power.
It is customary for the ornamental or seasonal lights, or any other such device to be operated by attachment to a conventional 120 volt power source. Unfortunately, outdoor lighting that is typically used in conjunction with commercial applications is not typically powered by 120 volt power.
Because of the different power requirements used by ornamental or seasonal lights versus commercial outdoor lighting, it is not possible to directly connect the ornamental or seasonal lights, or any other such device to the power provided to the commercial outdoor lighting.
One option to provide power to the ornamental or seasonal lighting or any such device is by running a second power line. A significant drawback of this option is the cost associated with the second power line as well as the cost to install the second power line. In locations where the ground is finished, it may be extremely undesirable to dig up the asphalt, concrete or tile to bury the second power line.
An option to add a separate 120 volt branch circuit during the original installation of the light poles involves increasing the size of the conductors to accommodate for the severe voltage drop that will be encountered, and is very expensive and not real practical.
Another option that is often used is to install an external transformer on the lighting standard that converts the power to 120 volts for use by the ornamental or seasonal lighting devices or any such remote device requiring 120 volts. A drawback of this approach is that the external transformer may be aesthetically undesirable. Additionally, the external transformer may be subject to vandalism and can be a safety concern if not installed or maintained correctly.